Death Becomes Him
by the naked bear lady
Summary: Percy dies. Except he's several decades early.
1. Death Carries an iPad

Disclaimer: I donot own PJatO, HoO, or ToA.

 _"I don't know Percy, I think you should just start working on your Masters after this."_ It was an argument that Percy and Annabeth had been having since the start of the last semester, and unlike most, it didn't seem to have an easy resolution.

"It's just been really hard Annie. I barely scraped by this year." He sighed, frustrated. "I kind of just need to take a break. Maybe a year, year and a half?" His breath curled around him in the frigid January evening as he made his way to their apartment.

 _"The sooner you start, the sooner it's over with."_ He huffed in exasperation, pulling his scarf up to cover his nose and picking up speed. _"Besides, at this rate I'll graduate a year early, if you take a break you'll be even more behind."_

"Hey! I'm not behind, you just skipped a grade. Overachiever." She giggled making him smile fondly. He could imagine her, feet in the air and covered in her favorite pair of fuzzy socks, as she worked on her Structural Design homework. A five page essay on what the strongest shape was.

 _"Alright, you caught me. Did you get the milk?"_ Percy was about to respond 'Of course I got the milk, it's the only reason I went out in -10 degree weather, so we could bake this cake,' but a sharp scream from the alley a few feet ahead of him distracted him. _"What was that? Are you okay?"_

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Hey, listen Annie, I'll call you right back." He hung up before she could respond, dashing to the source of the noise and accidentally dropping his phone. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but a mugging was not it. Maybe a chimera or a manticore, but the perpetrator was just a regular guy. Either way Percy's instincts kicked in and before he really knew what was happening he was attempting to wrestle a knife from the would be robber's hands.

The girl he saved ran as soon as she was able and Percy was pretty certain he could take the guy. He was smaller than him, and his eyes were panicked. He didn't seem to know what to do with his body. Percy finally got the knife away from him and granted himself a second to grin in victory.

His triumph didn't last for long. The stranger's face contorted, a mixture of fear and fury, and a crack sounded through the alleyway, reverberating off the brick. Percy looked down, surprised, and saw the blood blooming on his shirt before he felt the pain. And boy did it hurt. He dropped to his knees, unable to keep standing, as the shooter stood there, panicking.

Percy reached for him, trying to keep from falling on his face, but the man bolted leaving Percy to land like a sack of rocks. His head was getting a little fuzzy, but he was pretty sure he broke his nose. In the distance he could hear his phone ringing, that stupid Ed and Taylor collaboration that they **always** had to dance to. Their song. But his phone was a couple yards away and Percy was finding it harder and harder to keep from losing consciousness.

His last thought before everything went black was hoping that the cops got there soon.

* * *

"Hey, Jackson, wake up." He groaned, rolling over and finding a weird woman standing over him. She didn't look like a police officer or a paramedic, if anything she looked like one of those grungy kids that went to poetry clubs in the middle of the night. "Good morning sunshine, you look like crap."

"Well, I did get shot. I think." He pushed himself up, surprised to find that his chest didn't hurt and his nose was not throbbing.

"Yeah, and I mean, you did die." He blinked at her slowly, glanced down, and jumped away from his body still lying lifeless in a pool of his own blood.

"Shit!" She laughed, patting his shoulder gently.

"I get that a lot." She then pulled out an iPad, all business. "So, Perseus Jackson, 22, son of Poseidon, savior of the world," she paused, reading down a bit. "Twice. Good job." Percy scratched the back of his head, more than a little confused.

"Uh, thanks?" She chuckled, putting her tablet away.

"I'm pretty sure I should be thanking you silly. So, you definitely qualify for Elysium. I mean, you probably already knew that, but -"

"Isn't this Thanatos' job?" She tilted her head and Percy wondered vaguely if he had offended a goddess. Again. Because she was most certainly a goddess.

"For normal people. But I'm Makaria." Percy stared at her, unsure what that was supposed to mean to him. "Goddess of the Isle of the Blessed and the Blessed Death? I guide heroes to their resting place." He had never heard of her. Of course, if Percy knew anything about Greek mythology, it was that he didn't know much about it at all.

"Okay… And you're sure I'm dead?" She laughed again, like she thought he was joking. When he didn't join her she paused, a smile still playing on her lips.

"Well, you look pretty dead to me." He crossed his arms, brow raised and looking at her expectantly. She huffed, pulling her iPad back out and scrolling down furiously. "Honestly, save the world twice and he thinks death doesn't apply to him. Of all the ungrateful- Oh." She stopped, pursing her lips.

"Oh?" He asked, brow raising impossibly higher.

"If you must know, youshouldn'ttechnicallybedead." She wouldn't look at him, and he was starting to get a headache. Which he thought was a bit unfair since he was already dead.

"What was that?" She glared at him, huffing in annoyance as her golden eyes flashed.

"You shouldn't _technically_ be dead." He wasn't really sure what to say to that.

"How does that even work?" She rolled her eyes, like this was all a huge inconvenience for her when he was the one lying dead on the ground and _he wasn't even supposed to be dead._

"It says here that you were supposed to be so distracted by your conversation with one Annabeth Chase that you walked right past the mugging. Girl loses her wallet and suffers a non fatal stab to the shoulder." She put the device up again biting her lip. "So… Do you want to be dead?"

"Of course not!" He sputtered, looking at her like she was an idiot. She sighed, looking dramatically off into the distance.

"Yeah, I figured." She plastered a too bright smile on her face, and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "That leaves us with a couple of options then. How do you feel about chilling at the bank of the Styx till I get this figured out?"

He shrugged out of her grasp and frowned. "Can't you just, I don't know, undead me?"

"That's not how it works. I have to go through customer service."

"Customer service?" Percy was not impressed. Makaria scowled, pulling out her phone and hitting the three button. Percy couldn't help but think that she must not be very good at her job if customer service was on speed dial. It rang for a solid minute before a message picked up.

"Due to the amount of inbound calls, all of our lines are busy. Please expect a wait between thirty minutes and fifty years." Percy's jaw dropped.

"Oh, this keeps getting better." He eyed Makaria speculatively. "What's the other option. Besides waiting in the underworld for up to _fifty years._ " He said it like a dirty word, voice dripping with irritation. Even in death the gods were messing with him.

"Well," she drawled, worrying Percy even more. "I know this guy. He'll probably let you crash with him till this gets sorted." She placed her phone, still ringing, in her bag and patted his shoulder gently.

"Can't I just go home?" She laughed and he was starting to hate that sound.

"No silly. If you aren't in your body and you aren't in the underworld, you need to stay attached to your soulstone." She held up a glowing blue gem that radiated warmth and drew him closer like a magnet. "And only someone from the underworld can keep it in the physical realm. So, you need a babysitter." This was all getting more and more exhausting, and Percy wasn't sure that just staying dead wasn't the easier option. His phone, still lying on the street behind him rang again and his resolve hardened.

"Alright, let's meet your guy." She nodded, grabbing his arm and melting both of them into the shadows. He should have expected this, having shadow traveled with Nico before, but it still left him surprised and nauseous. They landed outside of Birdbath Bakery on Spring and Lafayette.

"Sorry, just gotta pick something up real quick." Her form shimmered, dark skin and silver hair taking on a more solid state and making him realize how ghostly he really looked.

"Can't it wait?" She frowned, swatting him gently.

"No, it's a birthday cake. It has to be delivered on their birthday." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he followed her into the bakery. The clerk seemed to recognize her, waving excitedly before running into the back to bring out a huge cake. It was almost half as tall as him. Makaria thanked the clerk and handed him a card, a black visa.

She tipped two hundred percent and with that they were off, leaving a stuttering grateful mess in their wake. "Now, I think we can walk the rest of the way. It's just five minutes south, on Broome St." Percy shrugged, and they were on their way.

"I could hold that for you," he offered, noticing the way people were looking at her carrying the cake easily with one hand.

"It would be more suspicious since no one can see you," she waved him off. Makaria was right about the distance, they made it in three minutes flat. "Just wait out here till I talk to him. He can be a bit… cranky." Before Percy could tell her that maybe he did not in fact want to stay with her cranky friend she was gone.

* * *

Nico was still unpacking boxes when his big sister materialized in his living room, a giant box balancing in her left hand. He set the books on the shelf as she deposited her package on the counter and rushed to embrace him. "Happy Birthday Nico!" She was practically singing as she squeezed him close.

He returned the hug, wrinkling his nose. "You didn't have to get me anything, helping me with the new place was enough." She pulled away, pouting. He shook his head and pulled her back in for another hug. "Not that I don't appreciate it."

Makaria squealed, planting a loud kiss on his cheek before dragging him over to the confection. "It's your favorite. Dark chocolate." His eyes were wide as she opened the box, revealing the dessert. "Six layers."

"You are the best." She grinned, preening under the praise.

"The best enough to do me a tiny, itsy bitsy favor?" Nico was pulling down plates and serving two giant slices as his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"That depends. What's the favor?" She threw herself dramatically on the couch, sobbing as she did so.

"Oh, it's terrible Nico, just terrible." He sighed, chuckling a bit as he joined her on the leather sofa, handing her the piece of cake. She accepted it and stuffed a huge bite in her mouth, continuing her story. "I accidentally reaped someone a bit early, and now, I need a place to hide them." Nico fought to keep his face straight as she lamented around the cake, looking absolutely ridiculous as she did so.

"So, just let them stay by the Styx for a while. Problem solved." She batted her eyelashes and he knew it was not going to be that easy.

"Oh, but it gets worse. They don't want to wait in the underworld. They were so rude to me, as if it's my fault that they had to go and die before they were supposed to. Daddy will be so cross if he finds out, and I just know this person will march right up to him and complain. He's terribly rude like that." Nico was positive his dad couldn't be cross with Makaria if he tried, but then, neither could he.

"I guess I could help out," he hedged, not wanting to get dragged into this when he was finally out of the underworld and living on his own. "But only for a little while." She beamed at him, throwing herself at him and dropping her cake unceremoniously onto the floor.

"You are the best little brother a girl could ask for." He shook his head, exasperated.

"Well, let's see this terribly rude person." She went to the door and opened it, ushering in whoever had been waiting out there.

"Come on in, he's agreed to help." It was Percy fucking Jackson.


	2. Death Lives in Manhattan

Disclaimer: I do not own PJatO, HoO, or ToA

AN: Special thanks to **Charmed Forever Fan** and **coralie14** for their kind reviews. And thank you to everyone who favorited or followed.

* * *

"Get out." Percy halted, his face bewildered as he stared at Nico in disbelief.

"You promised!" His sister stared at him in shock. Nico sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and counting to ten. This could not be happening to him. He would open his eyes, and Percy Jackson would not be standing in the middle of his living room, dead as a door-nail. Of course, when he looked again nothing had changed.

"C'mon Neeks, you don't mean that." Nico ignored him, focusing instead on his guilty looking sister.

"No. I am not watching him. Find someone else." Her hands were twisting the hem of her sweater nervously as she glared at the floor.

"Nico, you promised." His eyes narrowed, gaze hardening.

"Yeah, and you left out some pertinent information before that. So I'd say it's really shitty of you to expect me to go through with said promise." Makaria shrank back at the venom in his voice, and Nico almost, almost, felt bad about hurting her feelings.

"Nico dude, I didn't know it was your birthday." Percy had made his way to the cake, helped himself to a slice, and was currently attempting to eat. The cake of course fell through him as soon as he dropped it in his mouth, the plop deafening in the tense room. Nico blinked at him, once, twice, then groaned as he went to find the paper towels in the pile of boxes.

"You've known him for eight years and you don't even know his birthday?" Makaria's voice had reached a decibel that threatened to alert all the dogs in the neighborhood to her presence.

"Don't act all indignant on my behalf. I'm still mad at you." He stalked past her, trying to clean up the chocolate mess Percy fucking Jackson left on his floor.

"The real question," Percy muttered, blushing and ignoring being called out on not knowing his friend's birthday, "Is why I can't eat." Nico rolled his eyes, snatching the cake from Percy and glowering at him.

"You are dead. Of course you can't eat mortal food." He snatched the plate from a flustered Percy, and slammed it on the counter. He turned back to his sister, eyes narrowed. "I cannot deal with this. You need to take him somewhere else." Nico pretended he didn't hear Percy's sputtering and squawking behind him as he stared Makaria down.

She studiously avoided his gaze, still twiddling with her sweater, shoulders hunched. "It's not like I have anywhere else to take him." She chanced a glance at him and quickly cowered under his fury. "Uncleseidon will be furious with dad if he finds out." She paused, picking a stray fiber from the sleeve. "And you know Percy won't just behave. He'll cause an incident. And no matter how much daddy loves me, even he can't keep this under wraps if we don't do our part."

Nico clinched his fists. She was right. Percy wouldn't just wait. He'd do something stupid. He always did something stupid. And with the peace between the Big Three so tenuous… Anything could unbalance it.

"You call my dad Uncleseidon?"

"Yeah, all the kids of the underworld do. It's kind of a thing." Nico sighed, fighting the amusement back.

"No, you idiot, only you call him that." Makaria stuck her tongue out, hands on her hips. Nico shook his head and directed his attention back to Percy. Percy was giving him that look. That Percy look. Like he was the cutest baby seal on the face of the planet and Nico was the only one standing between him and disaster. He sighed. "I guess you can stay. You'd cause too much trouble if I left you on your own."

Percy's grin made all of this stress worth it. And it terrified Nico. "Man, thanks. You are the best." He went to clap Nico on the shoulder, which Nico skillfully dodged. He ignored the hurt in Percy's gaze as Makaria started making her way to the door.

"Well this is wonderful. Everything is in order and I can just be on my way-"

"Oh, no you don't." Percy interrupted, stopping the goddess from leaving the apartment. "I still have a ton of questions." She huffed, trudging to the couch and slumping down.

"Fine. It's not like I have work to do or anything." Nico scoffed, joining her on the sofa.

"You don't have work to do." She nudged him playfully, a smile playing on her lips.

"I know. But I do have a date later." Percy stomped over, a frown still in place, though he focused most of his ire on Makaria, and squeezed himself onto the two seater, pressing himself uncomfortably close to Nico.

"Newsflash, this is a little more important. How did I even wind up dead? You said I wasn't fated to die, so… What happened?" Nico had to agree with Percy on this one. He had never heard of something like this happening. Makaria blushed, looking anywhere but at Percy.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure? I mean, fate is usually pretty open to interpretation, but not when it comes to death. Daddy hates it when things are out of balance, so the Fates make extra sure that that side of things run smoothly." Percy frowned, considering this.

"But, that makes it even more confusing." Percy leaned closer, invading Nico's personal space. Nico tried to back away, but with the confined space he was stuck. "Nothing adds up."

"I've been thinking about that too." Makaria nodded, getting quiet and thoughtful. "The only thing that makes sense is for someone to be messing with fate." She smiled, waving wildly. "But, I mean we all know that doesn't make sense either."

"Do we?" It was out of his mouth before he could stop it. Nico didn't want to be roped into some grand mystery. He didn't want to find some crazy person meddling with fate, he just wanted to enjoy his new apartment and relax.

Percy perked up, the exuberance rolling off of him in waves. "Yeah, I mean, someone could doing this on purpose. And it's our job to stop them.

"Uh, we don't know that anything fishy is going on, it could just be a fluke." Makaria looked about as excited about solving this as Nico did. Which is to say not at all. Percy crossed his arms petulantly, pouting at both of them.

"Even so," he muttered, "You are going to help me, right?" Makaria sighed, leaning back.

"I mean, yeah. I've got to talk to the fates, get this whole death thing," she gestured at him broadly, "Fixed. And I guess while I'm at it I can keep a lookout for anything suspicious." She said it begrudgingly, and Nico knew that she'd rather do anything else. But Percy seemed to be doling out his signature grins like they were candy and it was Halloween.

"Thanks."

"Sure, sure." She dismissed. "You should be thanking Nico. He's doing a lot more for you than I am. It's super tedious and annoying dealing with soulstones."

Nico frowned, his brow raised. "Soulstone?"

Makaria wrinkled her nose, pulling the glowing gem back out of her bag and handing it over to Nico. "Mortals need to either be in their body, or in the underworld. It's just the way things are. If they aren't, then they can't be less than around ten feet away from the soulstone. And a child of the underworld must have it in their possession at all times."

"Ten feet!" Both boys shouted at once. Nico stood, pacing furiously.

"That is unacceptable. He'll be right beside me all the time!"

"Hey-" Percy tried to interrupt, indignant. Nico ignored him.

"And what if I lose it? Or just leave it at home because I need space?" Makaria shrugged, a bit miffed by his outburst.

"Then Percy fades into nothingness. His soul will cease to exist. He won't go to the underworld, he won't get his life back. He'll be gone."

Percy was silent, staring at the stone with an unreadable expression. Nico was at a loss for words. What did you say to that? Makaria seemed to take pity on him, waving her hand over the gem, making a cord appear around it. "As long as you don't take it off of your neck, no one else can. You won't lose it, and it can't break." Nico swallowed, nodding. She stood as well, placing the necklace gently around his neck.

It's warmth startled Nico, but he said nothing, the weight of what was happening finally sinking in. Percy seemed to find his voice though, and even though his gaze was focused on the soulstone resting on Nico's chest, his question was directed at Makaria. "Do you think I'll live again? Like, is it worth it? What are my chances?"

She patted him on the shoulder, smiling encouragingly. "Of course it's worth it. I know that you'll come back, it's just a matter of when. And on that note, I really do need to be going." She patted Percy once more, and pulled Nico in for a fierce hug. "I love you adelphos." Nico hummed in acknowledgment, hugging her back.

"Back at you sorella." She pulled away, smoothed his hair, and disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

Percy frowned at the spot where Makaria stood a few seconds ago. It was difficult to process everything that had happened tonight, just thinking that it had been less than three hours ago made his head spin. "I wonder if anyone's found my body yet."

Nico stiffened, refusing to look at him. "I'm not sure, we can check the news." Nico turned on the tv and began milling about the apartment, organizing his bookshelf. It was on a commercial, some weird cleaning apparatus that no one anywhere needed. Since when did people even clean baseboards? Nico was still pretending Percy was not sitting in the middle of his apartment, cleaning up both fallen slices of cake with more focus than was probably necessary.

Percy wasn't going to lie, the reception he got was not what he expected, and it stung. A lot. If Nico needed a place to stay, he'd be more than happy to take him in for as long as it took. He found himself watching the younger boy, brows furrowing as Nico just kept tidying. It was odd to see him dressed so casually - just a pair of sweatpants, a tank top, and his hair pulled back - and with a rush of shame Percy started to understand why Nico might not want to be his host. He didn't even know he had an apartment in New York, and both boys lived in Manhattan.

Or, rather, Percy's mother whom they were staying with over winter break lived in Manhattan. Percy and Annabeth shared a place in New Rome while they attended college.

"In other news, local boy found shot dead less than ten minutes from his home. It looks to be a robbery gone wrong, but with no witnesses-" Percy cut the TV off, unable to keep listening.

"Mom and Annabeth are going to be so worried." Nico made some sort of noise in acknowledgement but continued flitting about. "Do you think, maybe we could go see them?" That stopped him right in his tracks.

"We can't do that. How am I supposed to know it was you? Very suspicious." Percy scowled, throwing himself back on the sofa.

"You're a son of Hades, don't you just know when people die?" Nico scoffed, finally looking at Percy.

"No, dumb-ass. Do you know how inconvenient that would be? There are one hundred and five deaths every minute of every day." Percy huffed throwing his hands up in the air.

"I still don't see why we don't just tell your dad what happened." Nico rolled his eyes, placing a hand on his hip and looking at him like he questioned his intelligence. It was the first time all day Nico didn't look like he wanted to run away from him or punch him in the face.

"Uh, yeah, I'm not snitching on my sister. She's right about it causing an incident, and she did remember my birthday. Unlike some other people." Percy blushed, turning away.

"Sorry about that."

"Whatever Percy." And just like that the almost comfortable atmosphere was gone. Nico turned back around and started unpacking another box. Percy scrambled, trying to to come up with something to loosen him back up.

"Well, maybe I'll just call them myself." He paused, "Can I call people?"

Nico groaned, glaring at him. "You can touch things, but only a child of the underworld can see or hear you. Plus, the mist keeps anyone else from noticing what you are doing. And it works on demigods and mortals with the sight." Percy's jaw dropped as he floundered. Tonight just kept getting better and better.


	3. Death Talks in His Sleep

Disclaimer: I do not own PJatO, HoO, or ToA

AN: Thank you for the favorites and follows

* * *

Nico continued to studiously ignore Percy as he unpacked the rest of his boxes. He'd been trying to get completely moved in for almost a week, but kept getting distracted. But with Percy trailing along after him he needed something to occupy him. And boy did Percy trail after him. Before tonight, Nico never realized just how small ten feet was. Every time he had to climb up to the loft to put something in either the bedroom or office, Percy was right behind him. There would be no privacy until this was resolved it seemed.

Nico was at a loss for what exactly to do when he finally ran out of things to put away. It was only eleven pm, and normally he'd log on and play a few games with Frank, but one careful glance at Percy revealed bleary eyes and yawning. Yawning that involved stretching. Stretching that involved clothes not lying where they were supposed to. Nico shook his head, avoiding that train of thought.

It was odd to him, that Percy could be so tired so early, though he supposed dying was as good of a reason as any to be a little exhausted. And Nico's sleeping habits weren't exactly considered normal, or so Hazel told him. But Percy seemed ready to collapse at any minute, and Nico decided to have a little mercy on him. Even if he was pretty wide awake. "You wanna go ahead and get some sleep?" Percy nodded slowly, unable to answer around another delicious yawn. "Well, I think I have some spare linens we can put on the couch-"

"Neeks, I can't sleep on the couch." Nico frowned, brows furrowed.

"Why not?" Percy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, avoiding Nico's gaze.

"Well, for starters, it's too small." Nico balked, eyes darting between the loveseat and Percy. A few rotations confirmed that the sofa was, in fact, too small.

"I guess I can sleep on the couch." He sighed in resignation. It wasn't an uncomfortable place to sleep, it just wasn't his bed either.

"Well, that brings us to the second problem." Nico's eyes narrowed as Percy continued. "The couch is too far away."

Silence.

"Too far away?" It occurred to Nico that he knew exactly what Percy meant, however, his mind couldn't quite seem to reconcile the meaning with the application.

"I mean, yeah. It's way more than ten feet. I've been giving this some thought, and it's not like,a huge deal if we just share the bed," Percy kept talking, Nico watched him, the way his mouth just went through the motions of speech, but Nico heard none of it. He was expected to share a bed with Percy Jackson? His breathing got shallower, his heart racing, and his palms sweating. And as his thoughts were swimming - as well as his vision - Percy didn't seem to notice. He just stood there, rambling and gorgeous and -

"AH!" Nico screamed, throwing his hands into the air and stalking away, Percy right on his trail.

"C'mon Neeks, like I said, it's not a deal. Jay and I shared a sleeping bag once in Maine. It was super cold, and we were chasing a chimera." Nico continued to ignore him, yanking open his drawers and tossing clothes onto his bed. Once the dresser was empty he assembled the pile into a mass somewhat resembling a wall and gestured wildly at the right side.

"Don't cross the pile." Percy pursed his lips, like he wanted to make a point, but one look at the manic gleam in Nico's gaze shut him right up. He pulled off his shirt, dropping it unceremoniously onto the floor,and dove under the covers. Nico wanted to scream again. He resisted, stomping to his side of the bed and climbing inside. He wasn't even a little tired.

It didn't take long for Percy to fall asleep, and Nico decided to occupy his time with a little Pokemon. He was just working on filling out his Pokedex, having already beaten it a couple months ago. The going was a little difficult, especially since what he needed was previous generation starters and the only people trading those wanted level one legendaries. But after a little grinding and finally getting a Cyndaquil, he turned to see Percy out like a light and drooling.

Nico huffed, smiling fondly, and ruffled his hair. Percy made a weird noise, somewhere between a giggle and a snort, and kissed Nico's palm. Nico blushed, yanking said hand back and scowling. With his arms crossed, he turned away, scooting against the clothing barrier. Percy was even more unbearably cuddly when unconscious. Nico tried to go back to the game, but kept getting distracted by Percy's tossing and turning. Chancing a glance back over, he found the boy seeking what Nico could only imagine was his hand. Annabeth's hand, he corrected.

Still, he took pity on him, placing one hand over the pile and grasping Percy's searching one. Percy's hand was cool, a nice contrast to Nico's heated and admittedly sweaty palm. Percy clenched Nico's hand and the boy calmed down, his breathing evening out. With a bit of resignation he closed the DS and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

He almost succeeded when Percy fell on top of him, having rolled over the wall of laundry. Nico yelped, pushing himself away violently and tumbling onto the hard floor. Percy just let out a loud snore, oblivious to the world. Nico stood slowly, rubbing his sore ass, and climbed into the opposite side of the bed.

He should have known that being nice to Percy never ended well. A bit of glaring at the ceiling and the next thing he knew Percy had his arms tightly around him. Nico tried, unsuccessfully to pull away, startled out of his light slumber. Percy was still on his side of the bed, but his arms had come through the clothes, holding Nico close. Struggling was futile, Percy's grip was like iron. Nico had to resort to wriggling down and out of his grasp, once again falling off of the bed.

Eyeing Percy suspiciously, Nico backed away slowly. He needed a distraction. Nico grabbed his pillow, leaving him without one, and placed it in Percy's arms. Percy snuggled into it, grinning like an idiot, and rolled back over. With that Nico crawled back into bed, more than exhausted, and fell right back to sleep.

He almost screamed as Percy somehow yanked him over the wall, waking him up. The pillow was missing, and Nico's face was pressed intimately against Percy's chest. Pushing did nothing, and as Nico tried once again to wriggle away, Percy just hooked his leg around Nico's torso pulling him even closer. Nico glared up at Percy, temper well and truly lost, but came up short at the contented look on Percy's face.

Nico's heart fluttered with the realization that Percy looked that happy because he was holding him. He refused to acknowledge the fact that Percy didn't know who he was snuggling with, ignored the fact that he'd never be this affectionate awake and even if he was, it didn't mean anything. Instead of dwelling on that he kicked his clothes onto the floor and burrowed his nose into Percy's neck, relishing the scent that was one hundred percent Percy. And redirecting a stray hand when Percy went to grab his ass.

* * *

It was warm and cozy when Percy started to regain consciousness. He squeezed the person in his arms, kissing their forehead and loving the cute cooing he received in return. The form scooted impossibly closer, wriggling against him. Percy smiled lazily, opening his eyes and finding a Nico in his arms. A Nico who was super adorable when he wasn't scowling or glaring at anything.

Percy decided these were feelings better left for another time. Or never, whichever happened sooner, and gently detached himself. Nico grumbled wrapping his arm around Percy's waist and burrowed his face into Percy's neck, whispering in Italian. "Tornate. Voglio toccare il tuo culo. Gattini sono carine." Percy blushed, rolling over to check the time. It was almost eight. He'd overslept. Not that he had anything pressing to do, but keeping a routine was good for staying focused.

Bracing himself, Percy struggled out of bed, leaving Nico to huff and try to get comfortable again. Normally he'd start off with a jog, but seeing as he couldn't leave the apartment, he'd have to settle for jogging in place. Percy shoved some of the clothes that somehow ended up on the floor during the night into a serviceable pile and began warming up. The clothes were to deafen his footfalls, and if Nico's sleep murmuring was anything to go off of it was working.

He had worked from cardio to strength training and just started his sit ups when he noticed a very flustered Nico staring down at him. "What time is it?" Percy pretended not to notice how cute the blush on Nico's cheeks were, instead continuing his workout.

"Almost nine?" Nico groaned, flopping back on the bed and rolling over.

"Then why are you up? It's so early." The last part was a whine and Percy found it impossible to keep going as he chuckled.

"I normally get up around six thirty." Nico peeked around his elbow, aghast.

"Disgusting! I sometimes don't make it to bed till then. Stop being sweaty and gross." Percy chuckled, leaning his back against the bed.

"I'm not sweaty, I'm glistening." He was rewarded with a pillow to his face. "C'mon Nico, if you are up, can we go check and see if everyone's found out? You know, about me being dead." Nico just groaned and Percy frowned, a little irritated. "Look, I just want to see if my mom and Annabeth are okay-"

"Yeah, whatever Percy." Nico's shift in mood was disconcerting. It was hard to rationalize the cuddly boy when he was sleeping to the surly kid in front of him now. But Nico was finally grabbing his phone and willing to talk to his family. He didn't get to dial though, instead interrupted by a knock on the door. Both boys looked at each other, surprised, and then dashed to answer it. Percy only just remembered to let Nico, since he shouldn't draw attention to himself, and stared slack jawed at the visitor.

Annabeth was standing in the doorway, eyes still puffy and nose still red from crying. She was in the jumper she'd worn last night and her hair was a tangled mess on her head. She obviously didn't get any sleep last night. Percy gulped, looking between the two and wondering what would happen. "Dude, let her in!" Nico ignored him, but stood aside.

"Hey Annabeth, are you okay?" She sniffled, accepting his invitation and stepping inside, before pulling Nico into a tearful embrace.

"Percy's dead."

* * *

Tornate. Voglio toccare il tuo culo. Gattini sono carine. = Come back. I want to touch your butt. Kittens are cute.


	4. Death Prefers Earl Gray

Disclaimer: I do not own PJatO, HoO or ToA

AN: Thank you for the follow.

As a side note, I'm starting to feel like I'm screaming into the void at this point. I know I'm enjoying writing this, but is anyone enjoying reading it? The lack of feedback is a little disheartening. If you like it, let me know!

Also, considering doing an Annabeth perspective chapter, might add a poll, but let me know how you feel about that.

* * *

Percy was certain that Nico's face should be a little more shocked than it was considering the news, but Annabeth didn't seem to notice. In fact, she stood there holding the shorter boy tightly as he tried to close the door without interrupting the embrace. With some semblance of privacy achieved, Nico patted her back gently, muttering words that Percy couldn't quite catch, but seemed to do their job.

Annabeth pulled away, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her jumper and put on a weak smile. Percy knew it was a fake and wanted nothing more than to kiss those tear trails till he replaced it with a real one. But she didn't even know he was there.

"How about you take a seat," Nico gestured at the couch, all calm and rational, "And I get you something to drink. Then you can tell me what happened." Annabeth nodded, making her way to the sofa as Percy was forced to follow Nico into the kitchen. Percy was busy watching Annabeth, the way she was holding her arms and fidgeting her legs made him ache. Nico meanwhile put the kettle on, rummaging through the fridge and cupboard. Percy wanted to strangle him as he coolly sliced the lemon and arranged the saucer and cup. How he could focus on something so mundane while Annabeth was _hurting_ was beyond him.

"Nico, you gotta go comfort her. Look at her, she's just staring off into the distance. Her eyes are misting. Her eyes don't do that." Nico just leveled him with a glare that left no room for argument as he set a tray with the china and brought the tea to Annabeth.

"I hope earl grey is okay. I'm not really a fan of sweet flavors." Annabeth sighed, relaxing a little as she took the saucer from the coffee table and hazarded a sip.

"You are a lifesaver. I don't think I've had anything to eat or drink since last night." She held the cup tightly, but her shoulders were finally starting to ease their tension a bit. Percy went to touch her back, wanting to offer whatever semblance of comfort he could. She didn't even shiver as his hand phased right through her.

"Why don't you start at the top?" Annabeth nodded, taking a deep sip of the tea and setting it back down.

"I was talking to Percy on the phone when it happened, there was a noise, a shout I think, and he had to go investigate it." She paused, breathing deeply to calm her nerves. "When he didn't call me right back I got worried. I tried calling him, maybe ten times? Sally tried a couple times too, we were so worried." Nico took her hand in his, squeezing it gently and Percy wished he could be there for her.

"Anyway, we had to call the police at some point. He wasn't answering and he'd been gone so long," She hiccuped, brushing back more tears. "It didn't take long for them to find him. He was cold and abandoned in a alley. Plenty of people had walked past, but no one bothered to check on him." Her voice was taking on that scary tone she had when she got mad. Percy's hands waved uselessly as every move he made to reassure her was completely ineffectual.

Nico on the other hand, seemed to have a grasp on things. "It's not uncommon to see a homeless person sleeping in an alley in New York." She let out a bitter laugh, leaning back.

"Yeah, I know. Sally and I had to identify him. He didn't even look scared. Just surprised, like he wasn't expecting it. They still took him to the hospital, which is where Sally and I were all night. The autopsy and forensic specialists say it was a robbery gone wrong." She took another sip of her tea. "The girl he saved came forward. After we offered a reward. I almost punched her in the face. Till Sally lunged at her. Thank the Gods Paul was there to stop her."

Nico chuckled and Percy couldn't help but join in at the thought of his mother almost getting into a wrestling match at the hospital. "Is she okay?" Percy rubbed Nico's arm in thanks for Nico thinking to ask as Annabeth shrugged.

"As well as to be expected. She was trying to explain what happened to Laura when I left this morning. I just finished telling everyone at camp. Grover knew something was wrong, even after the empathy link was dissolved, they still get these feelings about each other." She was rambling, so Percy grabbed Nico's hand and placed it on her shoulder. She sighed, continuing. "It was hard. Jason took it the worst, besides Grover of course. And we had to Iris message Camp Jupiter, Frank bawled like a baby-"

"Hey, it's okay, take a second. Just breath." Nico began rubbing circles on her back as she regained control.

"Thanks. Anyway, it looks like we are going to have to push back your apartment warming party, though it is lovely." Percy blinked, brows furrowing.

"Apartment warming party? Dude, does everyone know where you live but me?" Nico, of course, ignored him.

"I understand, do you have the funeral arrangements made?" Annabeth nodded, looking past Nico.

"Yeah, a small family service tomorrow, one at Camp Half-Blood on Sunday, and Camp Jupiter on Monday. I know it's inconvenient, it was going to be a bit of a birthday party as well."

Nico waved her off, not phased, as Percy tried to rationalize the fact that he was obviously the only one who didn't know about Nico's birthday. "Don't be silly Annabeth, of course this is more important. I'm still having a hard time coming to terms with everything. It doesn't feel real."

Annabeth nodded fervently, which seemed odd to Percy. "Exactly!" She downed the rest of the tea, slamming it a little more forcefully than necessary on the table, and startling Percy and Nico. "Look, I'll be honest, I didn't just come here to tell you the news. I know it's selfish, so selfish, but, I _need_ you to contact him for me."

Percy stood, jumping up and down excitedly. This was perfect! He could tell Annabeth what was going on, help her feel better, and together they could get everything under control. "Go ahead Neeks, tell her what's happening." Percy continued his victory dance and Nico sat there, rigid and nervous. "Neeks? Nico?" Percy's exuberance drained as Nico gulped, stood swiftly, and ran to the bathroom without so much as an excuse me. Percy was dragged behind him, despite his best efforts to stay with a confused Annabeth.

"Dude, what the actual fuck? This is perfect!" Nico slammed the door and pulled out his cell, hands shaking as he dialed.

 _"Nico! What are you doing up so early?"_ Percy groaned as Makaria's voice echoed in the bathroom.

"Annabeth, Percy's girlfriend, wants me to summon him. What do I do?" Percy huffed, exasperated with the panic in Nico's voice. Makaria, however, just giggled.

 _"Well, you can't do that obviously."_ Nico nodded, rolling his shoulders

"Right, right, but what do I-"

"Excuse me." Percy ground out. "Why exactly can't we tell her what's going on? She deserves to know. Look at her, she's in pain!" His voice rose as he gestured to the door wildly. "You can't leave her like that."

"Percy, it's not that simple." Percy shrugged Nico's hand off, ignoring the hurt in his eyes.

 _"He's right you know. Why don't you guys blame Melinoe? Say she won't let you talk to his ghost?"_

Nico frowned, lips pursed. "No, Annabeth will just march into the underworld and demand he be released. She's stubborn like that."

"Damn right she's stubborn. Annie can handle anything."

Silence for a second.

 _"You could say he was already reincarnated?"_ Percy threw his hands up in frustration, turning away from them.

"No," Nico's voice was far away. "What about when he comes back?"

 _"You are probably right. Though, the wait time on that is going to have to start over. I had to hang up to answer this call."_ It was a cold punch to the gut. Annabeth was the most stubborn person he knew. And that was normally a good thing. But she would wait, stubborn and sad and lonely for the whole hypothetical fifty years. Fifty years of her crying and spending nights alone and cold. She deserved better.

Percy's shoulders slumped. Nico's hand was tentative as he once again tried to comfort Percy. This time Percy clung to him, silent tear falling. Nico returned the hug just as fiercely, holding him close. His whispered words were a jumbled mix of Italian and English, and Percy could feel the sobs wracking his body.

"We need to tell her to be happy. She can't wait for me forever. I love her too much to let her do that."

"Percy-" Nico stopped at the serious glint in Percy's eyes.

"Don't, it's the right thing to do. For her. If I get back soon it'll be no big deal, right? This is just in case. And to make her feel better. I can't comfort her any other way. I _need_ to do what I can to make this right for her."

 _"How sweet. Well, good luck boys. Don't call again if you can help it. But text me the new time for the party!"_ They were left with a dial tone and Percy wondered if she had any redeeming qualities.

"Well," Nico cleared his throat, looking intently at the ground, "Let's go do this."

Annabeth was pacing when they exited, her body trembling with anxiety. She didn't comment on Nico's quick exit or his extended time in the bathroom, but joined him on the couch, looking at him expectantly. "It would need to be a New or Full moon to summon his ghost fully, but I can contact him and tell you what he says." Annabeth pulled him into a swift hug and kissed him loudly on the cheek.

"That's, that's all I need." Nico nodded, closing his eyes and holding his hands out like some phony psychic from some B horror movie. His eyes flew open after enough suspense was made, looking mysterious and cool. Percy couldn't help but wonder if he'd practiced this before.

"Can he hear me?" Nico nodded and Annabeth choked back a sob.

"Perce, baby, I miss you so much!" She was crying in her hands now, the weeping loud and wet. "I don't know what to do." Percy gulped deeply, placing his hand on her back even though she couldn't feeling.

"It's okay Annie, you are going to be fine." Nico repeated what Percy said and Annabeth's crying became more intense.

"How can it be okay, when you aren't here?" Nico wrapped his arm around her shoulder, joining Percy in his plight to help her.

"Annabeth, you are strong and fierce and beautiful. You are going to be okay. I want you to be happy baby, for me. Don't let this break you. I couldn't bear it if it did."

"Percy you idiot!" She clung to Nico then, tears wetting his shirt as he rubbed her back and Percy held his arms around her, willing her to feel better. It took a while for her to calm down, but when she did she was quiet, somber.

"Thank you again Nico," she whispered, wiping her eyes and looking down dejectedly. "I have a lot of thinking to do, but," she drew in a deep breath, steadying herself. "You are invited tomorrow of course." And with that she stood, leaving the two boys before either could try to stop her.

Percy felt like shit. He knew what he did was for the best, but knowing he hurt Annabeth like that, even if it would help her in the long run, it went against everything inside of him. Nico refused to look at him, picking at the throw blanket on the sofa and avoiding his gaze altogether.

"Well, that sucked." Nico's focus snapped back to him, glowering.

"Don't play with me right now Jackson. I just comforted your grieving girlfriend for you. The least you can do is be honest with me. I know you aren't okay." Percy looked away unsure what to say. Nico huffed, nudging his shoulder roughly and raising a brow. "It's okay to be upset. You don't have to be strong all the time." Percy couldn't help but thank the Gods Nico was there with him as he did just that.


	5. Death Has Wet Socks

Disclaimer: I own nothing

AN: Sorry for the long hiatus! RL has been difficult, but I don't think I'll be having that issue anymore (crosses fingers). Thank you for all the kind reviews, faves, and follows!

* * *

"Maybe this is a bad idea." Nico had been pacing anxiously all morning since waking up with his face squished into a sleeping Percy's chest. He wasn't sure if it was better than being woken by a sweaty, shirtless Percy, but that was neither here nor there. The real issue and the reason he was currently wearing a hole into his floor was how he was going to explain everything to Hazel.

"Just chill dude, it's not like we have a better idea." Nico glared at Percy, unamused. Just because they didn't have a better idea didn't mean this was a good idea. "Besides," Percy continued, ignoring Nico's scathing looks, "She'll just react worse if we don't give her some time to get used to the idea."

Nico sighed, not wanting to admit that Percy had a point, but, Percy had a point. And just calling your sister and telling her over the phone that one of her best friends' ghost was living with you was not as effective as letting her see it first hand.

As he started to relax, forcing himself to stop the compulsive pacing, a knock sounded. Nico dashed to the door, ignoring Percy's chuckle, and yanked it open. It only parted as far as the chain lock would allow, and the abrupt stop of momentum almost toppled Nico onto the floor. He caught himself, though, and smiled sheepishly at the wide eyes of his little sister.

"Hey, Hazel. How are you?" She blinked, collecting herself, and studiously avoided looking through the doorway. Nico blocked her line of sight, a forced smile in place.

"Well, I'm as well as can be expected, which is not very." There was an awkward pause. "Well, are you ready, or, are you going to invite me in…?" Nico gulped glancing out nervously to make sure that Frank hadn't followed her to the door.

"Actually, I need you to promise not to freak out first." Hazel frowned, shifting anxiously.

"Well, you are kind of freaking me out right now, to be honest." Nico nodded, mostly to himself.

"Yeah, I knew this was a bad idea." Hazel had already started fanning herself, her breathing a little erratic.

"C'mon Nico, I'm getting worried over here." With a sigh, Nico undid the bolt and shuffled aside. Hazel was hesitant but slowly stepped through the threshold, only for her jaw to drop.

"I know," Nico placed a calming hand on her shoulder, "It was quite a shock to me as well-" He was cut off as he turned, finding Percy attempting to drink milk and instead the liquid puddled at his feet. "Are you drinking out of the carton? You animal!" Nico screeched, stomping towards Percy and yanking the milk from him.

"Well, I was attempting to anyway. Calm down, it's no big deal." Percy rolled his eyes, unphased by Nico's fury.

"It is a big deal, I don't want your germs all over my milk!" Nico snatched a glass from the cabinet and slammed it on the counter in front of Percy. "You pour your beverages into one of these."

"Well," Percy started softly, getting closer than Nico thought was absolutely necessary, "It's all kind of a moot point since I'm dead, isn't it?" And he had the audacity to smirk on top of it all. Before Nico could respond, and get even closer to the infuriating boy in front of him, a strangled something came from his forgotten sister behind him.

"What? What is going on? I can't, what?" The anger deflated right out of Nico, though he resolved to either finish this conversation later or smack that satisfied look off of Percy's face. Whichever happened sooner.

"Right, like I was saying before getting distracted by Mr. No-Manners over here, Percy's ghost is going to be living with me for the unforeseeable future." It wasn't the calm, comforting explanation he'd practiced at least sixty-four times in his head, but then, Percy just had to go and ruin that didn't he? And on top of that Nico's feet were wet with milk that was steadily warming.

"Hey." Percy's nonchalant greeting and casual wave seemed to do Hazel in, because she then dropped to the floor, her legs unable to keep her standing.

"I think I need a moment. Or ten." Nico rushed to her, Percy right behind him, and knelt in front of her.

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in. Do you want the long story or the cliff notes?" Hazel couldn't take her eyes off of Percy, almost like she was afraid he'd disappear if she did.

"Um, cliff notes? I don't want Frank to get worried and come in to find this before I actually understand what's going on."

"What do you think Percy? Are you up for telling it?" Percy nodded, dropping to sit next to Hazel.

"Well, long story short, I died early. Your sister, Macaroni?, is trying to get it sorted out, but till then Nico is stuck with me." Hazel nodded, trying to absorb all of this.

"Right. And we aren't telling everyone because…?"

"Well, to stop a fight between the Big Three and because it might take more than fifty years to resolve." Nico interjected before Percy could say something stupid, like, 'beats me'.

"Of course, I'm not really sold on all of this either." Nico elbowed Percy who shoved him back. That somehow dissolved to an almost wrestling match in front of a most certainly traumatized Hazel. "You can't pretend this isn't the dumbest thing you've ever heard before." Nico didn't respond, too busy trying to get Percy off of his back. Literally.

He had somehow pinned him to the ground, sitting on his back with one hand pinning his arms and another holding his legs in place. A small cough brought both boys attention back to the frazzled Hazel.

"I am going to go to the bathroom, and when I get back we are going to pretend this is normal and be civil to each other." Both boys were too stunned to say anything, though they did nod dumbly as she stood slowly and left. As soon as the door clicked Nico bucked, knocking an unexpecting Percy off of him. Nico took Percy's moment of surprise to leap on top of him, pinning Percy's arms beneath his knees.

"I get that this situation sucks, but your attitude is not helping anything." Percy blinked, unable to form words for a second.

"My attitude?! Dude, all you've done since I got here is be pissy about it. I thought we were friends, but you can't seem to stand to have me near you." Nico was about to retort, a snarky comment about how it was Percy's cavalier attitude and inability to take the situation seriously that was the real issue, but the words died in his throat. Percy looked genuinely upset, and thinking back, Nico was positive he'd be even more hurt if the tables were turned.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting like a total ass." The last part was a lie. Nico knew exactly why he was acting like this. Because being around Percy made his heart do weird things and it put him on edge.

Percy's face softened and Nico's heart sputtered accordingly. "It's cool Neeks, I know this whole thing is a huge inconvenience. And it's not like I have been the best of friends. I didn't even know it was your birthday."

Nico knew the polite thing to do right now would be to reassure Percy that all was forgiven, help him up, and work on being less hostile. What he wanted to do was crash his lips against Percy's and find out if he tasted as delicious as he smelled. What he ended up doing was sitting there, mouth open like an idiot, and blushing furiously.

The bathroom door creaking startled him, causing him to scramble off of Percy and against the wall. Hazel noted the two boys now not attempting to murder each other on the floor and nodded. "Well, it's nice to see you, Percy. Glad you aren't dead. Kinda." There was an awkward pause as the boys stood and she made her way over. "Can I hug you? Is that something I can do?"

Percy had her in his arms before she had finished the sentence, and Nico was surprised at just how tactile the boy seemed to be.

"Of course you can hug me Haze." He was still holding her at face level, her feet dangling uselessly as she giggled.

"I meant was I physically able and you knew it." He just winked at her. Nico fought back the jealousy bubbling in his stomach and trudged over to grab his jacket. It was silly really. If Nico let him, Percy would shower him with the same type of affection. Percy was just that type of person, he was always touching his friends. But it wouldn't mean what Nico so desperately wanted it too, and there was no way he could bear that.

By the time he was ready to go Hazel was back on her feet, though her hair was wilder than it had been before she came over. "We better hurry up, Frank's gotta be worried."

* * *

Percy followed behind Nico and Hazel, noting the way the siblings' hands seemed to reach for each other without the conscious consent of their owners. Nico was going into more detail about the situation, his free hand gesturing wildly, as Hazel nodded and asked a question here or there. Both of them would glance over at Percy occasionally, making him feel a little uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

It didn't take a genius to see the sympathy in Hazel's eyes, and Percy wasn't sure whether that was better or worse than the unreadable emotion in Nico's dark gaze. Whatever it was, it was arresting and Percy found himself avoiding eye-contact altogether.

Frank was waiting outside the car and enveloped both of them into a huge bear hug as soon as they got within range. Percy expected Nico to try to wriggle away or freeze up, but he just returned the embrace like a normal human being. When they parted Frank gave Nico a clap on the shoulder, sighed deeply, and opened the passenger door to his shitty Ford Aspire.

It was a miracle Annabeth and Leo had gotten it to run when Frank brought it to them, but despite their hard work, it was still a hideous monster. A hideous monster that Frank loved dearly somehow. Nico gave Percy a light shove as Frank was distracted, and Percy climbed into the cramped back seat as soon as he was able, followed closely by Nico.

And cramped was the right word, not even an inch between Percy and Nico no matter how pressed against the wall they were. Frank and Hazel scrambled in behind them and they were off. It was awkward at first, the silence deafening in the tight confines of the car and no one seemed eager to break the tension.

Finally, after the fifth time Nico bolted away from an accidental brush with Percy, it seemed he'd had enough. "Sorry about not logging in the past couple nights, I've been a bit out of it."

"No man, it's okay. Though L1v1NG_D34D_G1RL and Centurion kicked Jason and mine's ass the other night without you there. Didn't matter if their extra didn't even play they still wiped the floor with us."

Nico whistled, leaning in closer. "Ah dude, that sucks!" Percy frowned as Nico and Frank joked around, laughing and talking strategy. It was one thing to see Nico interact so naturally with Hazel, he'd always had a soft spot for her, but as their conversation went on and Nico's smile grew more and more genuine, Percy's stomach dropped. It was starting to seem like Nico was more than capable of being friendly and carefree and that it was, in fact, Percy's presence that turned him into a hissing hellcat.

He folded his arms, scowling out the window as he tried to ignore them. Here he was, watching Nico be funny and witty and charming and the total freaking opposite of how he'd been acting the past two days. It wasn't fair that Nico wouldn't smile at him the way he was smiling at Frank. Like he didn't have a care in the world and he actually enjoyed his company. Even when comforting Percy after saying goodbye to Annabeth there had been an undercurrent of unease, like he wanted to bolt as soon as he could.

Was Percy really such a terrible friend? Sure he forgot a birthday or two, but he made up for it in other ways. It was the hairs on the back of his neck standing up that made him finally turn back around and meet Hazel's gaze. It was similar to the one before, on the way to the car, but where that one said 'Poor Percy, he has to go to his own funeral', this one screamed, 'Poor Percy, he is incapable of being friends with my awesome little brother'.

And Hazel was right. Percy was fooling himself into thinking the 'relationship' he and Nico had was going to cut it, especially considering the fact that Nico was one of two people that could see him, gods not included. And as he glanced back at Nico, beaming at Frank for all he was worth, Percy resolved that he would be a better friend. He would be the best fucking friend Nico di Angelo had ever had, and he, Percy fucking Jackson, would be on the receiving end of one of those smiles.


End file.
